Neighborhoods reclaiming what was lost

Take Fremont Park. Fremont Park used to be called Pill Park, thanks to the drug-selling riffraff who took it over.

Then the city and the Leadership Stockton 2014 class partnered up to rout the riff (and roust the raff).

The Leadership crew topped it off by raising $28,000 and volunteering time to buy and set up exercise equipment used by kids in nearby schools.

It's a success story. And the other day, three graffiti vandals decided to spoil it.

They whipped out their spray cans and took aim. But before they could tag, three ex-gang members who live near the park spotted them.

Park Commissioner Aaron Edwards, who was arriving to inspect the park, witnessed what happened next.

"They actually ran from across the street and stopped these guys," Edwards recounted. "And said, 'You guys need to stop. This group and the city have put in a lot of time and money into this stuff so the kids can use it. You're not going to vandalize the park.' "

"Some foul language went back and forth," said Edwards, who thought a fight would break out.